Isn’t it ironic that we stress the most in situations where we are least supposed to? Well, stress during pregnancy is one fine example of the same.
You are going to introduce a new life in this world. You have to be mentally, physically, and most importantly, financially prepared for it. A lot of planning and thinking is going to be involved and there is no way that you can save yourself from stress.
Even though to-be-mothers try their best to keep themselves away from stress, it remains inevitable. It’s nothing but a normal reaction to a major change to your body and your life.
However, if the stress becomes constant and difficult to bear, you must take concrete measures to take care of this issue. After all, it’s about your baby and yourself. Stress management is extremely important during pregnancy and we are here to help you with some useful stress management techniques.
Let’s take a look at these 8 effective measures on how to relieve stress paving your way to a healthy and happy pregnancy…
Table of Contents
1. Rest As Much As You Can
Pregnancy brings a big change in your body and mind. Your body tends to get exhausted quickly making you irritated and feeling stressed. Also, the hormonal changes disrupt your sleeping cycle giving you a tough time sleeping at night.
Sleep is a great stress buster and highly recommended for a healthy pregnancy. That’s why it’s suggested that you must try taking naps during the day. Don’t exert too much, listen to your body.
The moment you feel exhausted, consider taking a break. Pick a comfortable position, get some support and let your body and mind relax.
2. Get Some Relief From Chores
One thing you must remember is that being pregnant and not doing household chores doesn’t make you an idle person. You are carrying a life within you and you are nurturing it.
Does it sound less of a job? Ask for help from your spouse or hire some home cleaning service, if it is financially viable. Just make sure you don’t exhaust yourself with any kind of work.
3. Prepping For The Birth
If you have any queries regarding the birth, ask your midwife about them. Solve each and every doubt that is bothering you. This will make you well aware of all the possibilities that can occur and you will feel even more confident.
Decide on all the things like if the delivery is going to take place at home or in a hospital, the size of the cradle, etc. in advance. Also, research about the best overnight diapers and other important things and start stocking up because you will need them after delivery.
4. Breathe In, Breathe Out
Breathing is essential and when you are pregnant, it becomes even more important because you are breathing for two people. Stress asserts a great effect on breathing. It leads to shorter breaths, decreasing the levels of oxygen in your body and the lack of oxygen leads to increasing the stress symptoms.
Therefore, aggravating the problem. Start taking control of your stress by focusing on your breathing. The best way to do it is to start with meditation. Every time you feel stressed, sit down, breathe in from your nose and breathe out through your mouth, and feel the stress sliding away. You can take help from some youtube videos as well.
5. Follow A Workout Routine
Being pregnant may require you to stop doing intense workouts, but that doesn’t mean you will not workout at all. Do some gentle exercises, even if it is walking, on a daily basis. You just need to keep your body moving. The endorphins released to give you a sense of stress relief making you happy and ecstatic.
6. Eat Healthily, Stay Fit
Create a healthy diet plan and make sure you follow it. Eating healthy will make sure that your blood sugar level doesn’t drop as it can lead to irritability and tiredness.
Pregnancy will make you crave for different unhealthy foods, but remember that choosing a healthy diet will surely make you feel good in the longer term. It will keep you fit mentally and physically.
7. Talk Your Heart Out
Each one of us has issues that stress us out, and if we keep them to ourselves, the stress builds up stronger. It can even give a stress headache.
The best way out is to talk to somebody you are comfortable talking with. It is almost therapeutic. It will relieve you from all your worries, help get some clarity on your thoughts and find solutions to your problems if there are any!
8. Pen Down Your Thoughts
It’s a memorable phase of your life. A lot of things have been happening to your body and in your surroundings, how about keeping a record of them? You can use a journal to jot down whatever that comes to your mind, even the things that give you stress.
This way you can remember important dates like the first time your baby kicked or the day you noticed your baby bump. Few years down the line, it will be a joy to go through all these beautiful memories that you are making right now…
Stress and Pregnancy go hand-in-hand, it just depends on how you are going to deal with it. A stressful state of mind has negative effects on the fetus and this is something you cannot afford at all.
We hope these tips help you have a stress free pregnancy. If you have any other tips that you consider to be useful, do let us know! Your ideas are valuable.
Betti Wilson is a freelance author, but, what’s more important, what she is really devoted to, is her children. In her articles, she shares her own experience and writes about parenthood, lifestyle, family challenges, and how to deal with them without losing a positive attitude.